Bed attachment for invalids



No. 6l8,407. Patented Jan. 3|, I899.

I F. m. FORBES. BED- ATTACHMENT FOR INVALIDS.

(Application filed Dec. 15, 1897.)

2 Sheeis$haet I.

(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 3|

No. 6l8,407.

F. m. FORBES. BED ATTACHMENT FOR INVALIDS.

(Application filed Dec. 15 1897.)

2 Sheets$heet 2.

(No Model.)

v wnms PETERS co. womluwoq WASH! NiTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FERRY M. FORBES, OF MILFORD, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS W. COMMON, OF MOUNT CLEMENS, MICHIGAN.

BED ATTACHMENT FOR INVALIDS.

sPEcIFIeA'rIoN forming part of Setters Patent No. 618,407, dated January 31, 1899. Application filed December 15, 1897'. Serial No. 661,957. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FERRY M. FORBES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milford, in the county of Oakland, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed Attachments for Invalids; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a bed attachment for invalids; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means which may be attached to a bed of any construction and by means of which the invalid may be raised to a sitting posture or any desired inclination and supported in said position without any jar or strain whatever, and a further means whereby a table may be provided in front of the invalid and raised to any desired height and which will also serve for a support when at stool, if desired. This object is attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bed provided with my improved devices. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the bed, showing manner of attaching the operative mechanism'thereto. Fig. 3 is a side eleva- .tion, partly in section, a portion of the rail being broken away to more clearly show construction of parts and showing by dotted lines the adjustment of the table or support. Fig. 4c is an enlarged section through the bed-rail, as taken on line 44. of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective showing the detachable back-rest which is employed when the support is serving as a stool. Fig. 7 is an enlarged eleva tion of the cross-shaft employed to operate the mechanism alike on both sides of the bed and which is longitudinally adjustable. Fig. 8 is a transverse section through said shaft on line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to the letters of reference, A designates a supporting-frame, which may be formed of any suitable material, which is located at the head end of the bed and provided with suitable cross-strands a. may be caused to lie upon the top of the mattress, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be placed under the head of the mattress, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower opposite corners of said frame are pivoted on opposite sides to the upper ends of the vertical standards I). These standards are vertically movable in suitable supports secured to the inner face of the side rails 13 of the bed, so as to permit the supporting-frame A to be raised or lowered to enable it to be placed upon the mattress or beneath the mattress, as desired.

C designates a pair of angle-levers pivoted at'c to' the inner faces of the side rails B of the bed. The upper ends of said levers have a movable connection with the side rails cl of the frame A by means of suitable clips 8, which embrace said rails and which carry antifriction-rollers, (shown by dotted line f in Fig. 2 and by solid lines in Fig. 3,) which bear against the under edge of said rails and obviate undue friction between said movable parts. The lower ends of said levers C are connected by means of links D with the depending ends of the arms E, which are fixed to opposite ends of the rock-shaft F. This shaft F is journaled at its opposite ends in suitable hangers or bracket-plates G, which are secured to the opposite inner faces of the side rails B of the bed. One end of the shaft F passes'through the plates G, in which it is journaled, and is provided with a right-angled end portion h, which projects outside of the bed-rail and is adapted to enter the socket of the actuating-lever H, as shown in Fig. 4:, by which means an actuation of the lever H will rock the shaft F and raise or lower. the supporting-frame A, so that it may be caused to lie in a horizontal position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, or caused to stand at any degree if inclination, as will be well understood.

To provide for locking the levers C so as This frameto maintain the supporting-frame A at any degree of inclination, I employ a suitable ratchet mechanism, (shown in Figs. 4 and 5,) which consists of a spring-actuated plunger 0r detent 1:, which is mounted in a bracket I, attached to and adapted to move with the arm E. The upper end of said detent engages a ratchet J, fixed to the inner face of the outer plate of the hanger G.

Embracing the end It of the shaft F is a looped or bifurcated trigger m, which extends downward and is provided with aright-an gled portion that passes through a vertical slot 0 in the bracket I and engages the upper end of the coiled spring 0', which environs the pin or detent i and is attached at its upper end thereto. This trigger is actuated by means of a hand-grip n, pivoted on the upper end of the lever II and connected by a wire R with a short pivoted arm 8 on the lower'end of said lever, the free end of which engages the trigger m. Therefore by grasping the hand-grip the arm sis caused to depress the trigger m, which depresses the spring 0 and carries the detent free from the rack J, whereby the shaft is free to be rotated by means of the lever H to move the supporting-frame A to any desired position. Upon the release of the lever II the action of the spring 0 will cause the detent to reengage the rack J and lock said parts.

To provide for supporting the table or rest in front of the invalid when in a sitting posture, I employ on opposite sides of the bed a pair of lazy-tongs or pivoted arms K. The lower end of one of said arms is pivoted at 'u to the side rail of the bed, while the lower end of the other arm is adapted to travel horizontally in a way formed by securing a strip 25 to the inner face of the rail of the bed, said last-mentioned arm having an angle end i projecting through said way, which is connected by meansof a link 6 with an arm a,

fixed on a rock-shaft L, which crosses be-.

- naled in suitable brackets L, secured thereto.

One end of said shaft projects beyond the rail of the bed and is provided with a crank or angle portion 1;, adapted to receive an operating-lever o", whereby by the actuation of said shaft L said arms K may be extended or folded together, so as to cause their upper ends to project at any desired elevation over the bed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or to lie folded against the side of the bed-rails, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper ends of the arms K are connected by cross-pieces K, to one end of which one of the arms is pivoted, the upper end of said arm being adjustably secured thereto by means of a pin (9, adapted to slide in a slot 1) in said cross -pieces, whereby the upper ends of said arms K are permitted to move toward or from each other as they are raised and lowered through the operation of the lever 41.

To provide for locking the arms K at any desired elevation, I employ a ratchet construction similar to that shown in Fig. 4 and which serves to lock the shaft F. Therefore aminute description of this ratchet construction is unnecessary. Suffice to say that a similar triggerm is employed to disengage the detent from the ratchet, which is actuated by the pivoted arm .5, carried by the lever II, when said lever is placed upon the rightangled end 4) of said shaft L. This arrangement permits the table P to be supported at any desired elevation. r

The arm K, to which the connecting-link z, attached and which moves back and forth in a way behind the strip 15, is provided with an antifriction-roller it, which travels upon the edge of said strip 25 and obviates undue friction.

A table P is placed upon the cross-pieces K'of the supporting-arms K when raised and is employed for supporting dishes when serving meals to the patient and for other purposes. This table may also serve as a stool, as shown in Fig. 6, the table being slipped under the patient when the arms are down, when said arms are raised a sufficient height to place a chamber thereunder. To support the patient at stool, a detachable back S is employed, as shown in Fig. 5, which is adapted to engage the table P and may be readily re- I moved when not in service. 7

The supporting-frame A, as will be seen in Fig. 3, may be placed under the mattress, so that the mattress and the bedding on which .the patient lies may be raised thereby.

As will be seen on referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the shaft F is composed of two parts, which are secured together by suitable clips to, which embrace the two parts of the shaft and hold them together. By means of this construction the length of said shaft may be increased or decreased at will to accommodate the various widths of beds upon which the device is mounted. The shaft L, while not shown, is similarly constructed.

By means of this improved device, which maybe attached to any bedstead in use, every convenience of the patient may be served and the patient supported in a sitting posture or a half-recumbent position without jar or strain, making the device especially adaptable for hospital use.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bed attachment for invalids, the combination with the bed-frame, the standards mounted in the sides of the frame to move Vertically, the supporting-frame pivoted to said verticallymovable standards, sliding clips mounted on the rails of said supportingframe, the side levers pivoted to the frame of the bed and to said clip on said supportingframe, and means for actuating said levers to raise and lower said frame, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bed attachment for invalids, the combination with the bed-frame, the opposed IIC standards mounted to move vertically in said bed-frame, the supporting-frame pivoted to said vertically-movable standards, the levers pivoted to the bed independent of the pivot of the supporting-frame and engaging the upper end of said supporting-frame, the rock-shaft supported on the bed-frame, the links connecting said shaft with said levers, means for actuating said levers, and the ratchet for looking said levers in any desired position.

3. In a bed attachment for invalids, the combination with the bed-frame, the lazytongs or pivoted arms mounted on the bedframe adjacent to said supporting-frame, one of said arms having a depending end which is adapted to travel in a way in the frame of the bed, a rock-shaft mounted on the frame of the bed, the link connecting said shaft with FERRY M. FORBES.

Witnesses:

M. O. WILLIAMS, H. Li SEBRING, 

